The first Qatar Airways direct flight, QR0994 departed from Hamad International Airport (HIA), Doha to Da Nang International Airport was officially launched on Wednesday.

The beautiful coastal city of Da Nang is the third Vietnamese destination on the award-winning airline’s rapidly expanding global network. Qatar Airways will operate its Da Nang service four times each week with a Boeing B787-8 aircraft, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class. Passengers will be able to enjoy the airline’s superior entertainment system, Oryx One, offering up to 4,000 entertainment options.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways is very pleased to extend its reach into Viet Nam by launching our third gateway into this beautiful country. The addition of Da Nang to our global network further demonstrates our commitment to the Far East region, a highly important market for Qatar Airways. With 56 weekly passenger flights to and from Viet Nam, we take great pride in our role of bringing passengers to and from this beautiful county and being a trade enabler and connector for Vietnamese and international businesses.”

Vietnamese Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Nguyen Dinh Thao, said: “This year marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Qatar, and we are delighted to welcome Qatar Airways to Da Nang, its third Vietnamese destination. The direct flight to Doha will play a crucial role in connecting central Viet Nam passengers and freight to the rest of the world. With the increased connectivity, we also look forward to welcoming more tourists to Da Nang, the tourist capital of south central Viet Nam.”

The world’s second largest cargo carrier began direct services to HCM City in 2007 and launched its Ha Noi service in 2010. In October 2017, Qatar Airways announced its interline partnership with Viet Nam-based Vietjet Air, allowing Qatar Airways’ passengers to travel to and from points in Viet Nam not served directly by Qatar Airways using a single reservation across both airlines’ networks.

The launch of Da Nang marked the 14th new direct route to be introduced by Qatar Airways in 2018. As part of its continued expansion plans, Qatar Airways plans to launch a host of exciting new destinations throughout 2019, including Valletta, Malta, Isfahan and Iran. — VNS